


100 One-Shot Challenge

by Shadough



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 13:27:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14935142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadough/pseuds/Shadough
Summary: Created by Prin Pardus on FFN many years ago. It was a challenge I also started but never completed. I've decided to retry it. Almost every chapter will be rewritten.Rules of the challenge: minimum 1500 words per one-shot, themes must be done in order





	1. Injured

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this one was about two little kits named Sunkit and Flamekit, the former getting injured after getting thrown in a river by a rogue. Now, it's based on a character of mine from the RP TacoClan who I loved so much.

One of the things Pheasantflight hated the most was sitting in the medicine cats’ den. Sure, Snowheart and Shadypaw were nice- especially the latter who had recently made friends with a young rogue that joined the Clan- but she was itching to stretch her legs and spend time with some of her best friends.

In the past, Pheasantflight always thought Icepaw to be her best friend. While she loved the molly like a sister, recently she couldn’t shake a certain tom from her mind: Cedarwhisker, who she fondly called Fishface. After his recent brush with death and her mentor becoming distant, the two became close. He kept her close company while she was den-ridden. She appreciated it, yet she knew something was missing.

The second morning she was stuck in the den, her thoughts wandered far to keep her mind off the pain her back emitted. She was tired and bored; she really wanted to stretch her legs and see how her half-siblings were doing. After all, she became injured trying to protect her half-sister from their deranged father.

She lifted her head and tried to move in an attempt to see in to camp; this earned her a groan from herself and a quick scolding from Snowheart. His apprentice came around the corner and set some medicine down. “For the pain,” she said quickly before scooting away to the outside.

Pheasantflight grinned but tucked it away for later. She might need it in the middle of the night and she would hate to wake up the medicine cats. “Snowheart, what time is it?” she called.

“It’s sunhigh.”

Pheasantflight frowned. Yesterday had gone by so slowly. She was a warrior; she yearned to stretch and run. She really wanted to hunt. She didn’t even get to sit her warrior’s vigil. So she let her thoughts wander again.

How was Honeypaw doing, she wondered. Her half-sister could have been killed be their father if she hadn’t followed, after all. Pheasantflight never even got a chance to ask why the apprentice had fled camp; she just followed as any concerned family member would. Running into Claw was not something she thought would happen. Honestly, she never thought she’d see the tom again. But he was there, and he was angry.

Pheasantflight never expected her first fight as a warrior would be against her father, yet fate is funny like that. He would have killed her if Cedarwhisker hadn’t followed her. Claw had just dug his claws into her back and left slices that would most certainly scar when the tom showed up. He was furious and fought Claw with all the might of StarClan.

Cedarwhisker… She hadn’t seen the tom since the previous day. She felt embarrassed thinking about it. He practically had to carry her back to camp; she was so weak she couldn’t even walk. The molly’s back was bleeding terribly. Luckily, Honeypaw managed to bring Snowheart and Shadypaw back to where the fight had occurred. However, if she were to be honest with herself, Pheasantflight found the worst part of yesterday to be how embarrassed her felt about Cedarwhisker saving her.

Her thoughts paused for a moment. Why did thinking about Cedarwhisker make her feel weird? Since when did she feel embarrassed around the tom? Was it when he saved her life, or did it start happening before?

_It was winter. Snow covered the ground, and ice covered the river. Three apprentices skid across the ice, chasing each other with pure delight. Pheasantpaw’s target was Icepaw: who, for some reason, was teasing her about a crush on Cedarwhisker. Pheasantpaw didn’t have a crush on the warrior, though! They were just friends!_

_A lot happened while they were out there. They jumped and slid and had a blast. They laughed a lot. They teased each other a lot. And… Icepaw fell through the ice and into the freezing water below._

_Through all that, it almost felt like Cedarwhisker was still most worried about Pheasantpaw. She didn’t recognize the feeling then, but she was embarrassed. Why though? Back then, she didn’t know._

A cat entered the den, breaking her away from thoughts she didn’t want anymore. “Pheasantflight, how are you doing?” It was Icepaw, a concerned look on her face. “I came by earlier, but you were asleep.” The molly lowered her voice. “Snowheart kicked me out, the old fart.”

“I’m glad you’re here. I am sooo bored.” Pheasantflight pouted. “Shadypaw is out with Sleetpaw, and Fishface hasn’t been by since he left yesterday.”

“Ooh, thinking about Cedarwhisker, are we?” Icepaw purred. “Now that he’s saved your life, are you finally going to admit you like him?”

“I don’t like him like that,” the golden molly insisted. “We’re friends. That’s it.”

“Oh please, Phes. You two are so close you’re practically mates already. His priority concern has been you for so long. Just confess to him already.” Icepaw swiped her ear. “And you better do it quick.”

“I’m not going to confess my undying love for a cat I’m not in love wi- Wait, I know this is going to sound back but why would I have to do it quick?”

“There’s some stuff going down with Featherstripe. I heard rumors from some of the senior warriors that Cedarwhisker used to be in love with her, but then she chose Ashfall instead. I’ve heard enough drama stories from my days as a rogue to know what’s going to happen next.” Icepaw flattened her ears. “No matter what happens, though, someone is going to have their heart broken.”

“Well, it won’t be me,” Pheasantflight insisted. “Because I’m not in love with him.”

“Yes, you _are_. I’m not stupid, Phes. Think about it. Think about how you felt when he came to your rescue and saved you from that rogue. He saved you! He was so angry because you got hurt! Stop being so dense!” Icepaw stood from her spot. “I’m leaving. I’ll be by again later. I promised Whitewhisker I’d go hunting with him. While I’m gone, you better think long and hard about this Cedarwhisker thing. Before you lose him.”

Pheasantflight watched her friend go. When had she become so mature? But she did as she was told and continued her thoughts from before. When was the next time she remembered feeling weird around Cedarwhisker?

_The snow collected on the ground, almost covering the apprentices. They were so excited; after all, it was their first winter. Though Smokefrost had warned her about the dangers of winter, she was still enamoured by the falling flakes. With one swipe from the apprentices, a snow fight broke out in camp._

_All the cats were laughing. For a while, Pheasantpaw’s targets were Icepaw and Bouncepaw. They both had the advantage of white fur, but the golden molly wasn’t going to be beat so easily. But when she felt a large amount of snow hit her fur, her target changed._

_Cedarwhisker was at a disadvantage. His russet fur was short; he was going to get cold faster than her. She had thick fur. She could last longer than him. So she went after him, changing her course and chasing him through the snow. The smile never left her face and afterwards, they warmed off together. She couldn’t remember the last time her pelt was pressed against another, but she liked it. She could have dozed off, her head leaning against his shoulder in sleepy blis-_

The sound of paws interrupted her thoughts this time, though no voice spoke out. The golden molly looked up to see her deputy standing in the entrance of the den, eyes locked on her. “How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“F-fine, I think. It doesn’t hurt as long as I stay put.” Pheasantflight lowered her ears. Though she enjoyed teasing the serious deputy when she was younger, she was an injured warrior and he was terrifying. “Snowheart hasn’t told me when I can start moving yet.”

“It’ll probably be a few more days,” the aforementioned medicine cat called out from somewhere in the den.

Smokefrost nodded. “Very well, then. Someone should be bringing you something to eat soon. I expect it will be Cedarwhisker. He is very fond of you, after all. I do hope you feel better soon.”

As the deputy turned to leave, Pheasantflight pursed her lips. “Wait!” The deputy stopped but did not turn around. “I want to ask you something a little personal, if that is okay. About love.” The deputy did not move yet said nothing. “I’m just wondering… How do you know if you’re in love?”

Smokefrost sighed. “You are very young, Pheasantflight. As a kit, you loved your mother very dearly. As you grew, you learned to love your sister and your Clan. You learned to love certain kinds of prey. Certain smells. Certain sounds. You’re in love with a lot because that is the kind of cat you are.” He paused. “I know that is not the kind of love you mean. I am not good with advice on love, but knowing you, you already know if you are in love or not. You just aren’t ready to admit it yet.”

“I see.” Pheasantflight sighed. “Thank you, Smokefrost.” The deputy nodded before exiting, leaving the warrior once again to her thoughts. “I already know…” she mumbled.

_A new name and a new chapter in life. Pheasantpaw became Pheasantflight and Bouncepaw became Whitewhisker. She was an adult now. Not only that, but the Clan gained three new members that day: Honeypaw, Spiderpaw, and Sleetpaw. It was an exciting day for all of them._

_Only moments later, there was yelling. Something was wrong. Honeypaw was leaving camp. Pheasantflight thought she was the only one to see the apprentice leave, so she followed. She needed to be sure that Honeypaw was okay._

_She didn’t expect to find Honeypaw face to face with their father. She didn’t expect to have to fight him. She didn’t expect she would lose. As she felt the piercing pain down her back, she was saved._

_To be honest, she thought it was a star-covered warrior straight from StarClan. She thought that an ancient warrior had been sent down to save her. She also thought she was dying. But when her thoughts became clear again, she realized it was Cedarwhisker. “Fishface, you saved me.”_

_He had told her to be quiet, that help was on its way. He couldn’t move her alone, not while she was bleeding profusely from her back. When the medicine cats finally arrived, he pushed them away from himself and to her. Once her wounds her mended, he practically carried her back to camp by himself. He was very cautious about who approached her, even who talked to her. Pheasantflight had very little strength. But her last thought before she passed out was of him, covered in stars and fighting to protect her._

Pheasantflight groaned as she moved without thinking. She nudged out one poppy seed from her stash and lapped it up, waiting for just a bit of relief. Though, it wasn’t her back that pained her the most: it was her thoughts and the realization that she might actually be in love with Cedarwhisker.

The golden molly knew nothing of what was happening in camp, but based on her conversation with Icepaw earlier, she expected nothing good. Oh StarClan, how she wished her could walk out of the den right now and find her best friend. Maybe she could talk to him and figure out first if he was in love with her. Then she could be sure.

Then… Cedarwhisker entered the den with Featherstripe. They each carried a piece of prey with them. The former set his down in front of her and grinned. “I brought you something to eat. I hope you don’t mind if we eat with you. I figured you were lonely.”

“Thanks,” she purred. The warrior was hungry, that was for sure. But as she ate, her appetite began to diminish watching Cedarwhisker share prey with Featherstripe. It made her stomach feel weird. She finished eating, though.

“How are you feeling?” the tom asked in between bites of his own.

“Okay, I guess. I really just want to properly stretch my legs, though. I feel so restless.” Pheasantflight’s tail started waving. “It’s pretty frustrating between stuck in here.”

“Yeah, I bet.” Cedarwhisker’s tail was curled around Featherstripe’s. “When you get out of here, we can go straight to the river. Fishing sounds fun, right?”

“I guess.” Pheasantflight was starting to feel worse. Maybe Icepaw was right.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Featherstripe asked her, concern on her face.

“I’m fine.” There was an edge of anger in her voice. “I think I’m just tired.” That was a lie. She was wide awake.

“I thought you said you were feeling restless?” The tom questioned.

“I’m _fine_ , Cedarwhisker,” Pheasantflight snapped. She felt a growl bubbling in her throat, though she didn’t know why. Was it the sight of Cedarwhisker and Featherstripe together? Was it the poppy seed? She sincerely hoped it was the latter. She flattened her ears. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really.”

“If you say so. I guess we should leave, then. Rest well, Pheasantflight. I’ll check on you later.” The two dipped out of the den, fur pressed together.

She was going to kill Icepaw later.


	2. Sinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place in an AU where there were two Clans: WolfClan and RogueClan. The former is a traditional Clan; the latter is a Clan consisting only of rogues. For this one, I rewrote it with the same characters.

It had been raining for three nights, an endless pour that drenched any who dared to leave their den. Froststar had been concerned, constantly badgering Breezefall about if StarClan had sent any signs. Adderblaze watched his mate each time she did this, watched her disappointment as the medicine cat informed her that there had been no signs from StarClan. Adderblaze was worried, both about the rain and his mate.

On the fourth day, the rain did not cease. Adderblaze saw the anger etched into the leader’s face. He was careful when he approached her that day. “Froststar, my love, I would like to take a patrol to the river.”

The molly looked to him, tail swishing. “Why? That is much too dangerous.”

“I am aware, but the river is uphill from camp. As much as it has rained, I fear the river may flood. The water will definitely destroy the camp,” the warrior told her. “If you don’t want to send a patrol, I can go alone. We need to make sure we don’t need to move to higher ground.”

“The river hasn’t flooded since I was born. There is no need to check on it.” Froststar looked towards the sky. “StarClan has yet to warn us of any dangers. This rain shall pass soon enough.”

“Love, I think-“

“Adderblaze, I don’t want you to go to the river. In this rain, the only danger is how fast the rapids will be. I know you are an experienced warrior, but it is safer if you stay here.” Froststar flattened her ears. “I will admit, I am scared and a bit angry. But I trust StarClan. If we are in danger, they will send us a sign.”

Adderblaze frowned. He did not say anything, instead choosing to quietly leave as his mate turned towards the sky again. Somewhere in his mind, he knew she was right. In his lifetime, he had never heard of the river flooding. Yet, as his paws stepped through puddle and puddle, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still wrong. He knew Froststar was wise, but he turned away from the dens and went out into the forest instead.

The trees gave very little protection from the rain. Adderblaze was soaked before he even got to the river, paws covered in mud and leaves. He also heard the river before he saw it, the pounding rain almost silent compared to the savage noise the border made. Though he suspected the river to look bad, he was not prepared for what he saw.

The river was moving rapidly. It splashed against the sides harshly, water coming in large amounts and sliding downhill. Adderblaze’s eyes widened with fear. If the rain continued any longer, he knew his Clan’s camp was doomed. He searched around for any way to contain the water, but he saw no way to keep the water in the river.

“StarClan,” he called to the sky. “Do not forsake us! If the river floods, many lives could be lost. Please- please help us!” Adderblaze stepped closer to the river, intent on continuing a search for something to save his camp.

Lightning rolled through the sky, causing a crash. The warrior’s hackles rose- or rose as much as they could considering his fur was soaked. Water splashed at him from the river, making his steps shaky as he tried to walk without slipping. Maybe Froststar was right; it was too dangerous to be at the river. Somewhere in his mind, he already knew that. And he knew that as another crash of thunder rang through the sky. And he knew that when it caused him to jump. And he knew that when he slipping into the river, the water tearing him away from land.

Adderblaze was a lot of things. He was a strong warrior, a kind-hearted father, and a loyal friend. What was he not? A swimmer. The tom never found the need to learn. He could climb trees with ease and leap from branch to branch. But swim? Perish the thought.

So when he fell into the water, he didn’t know what to do. Not that he could do much. The water pulled him down faster than he could really react. He was smacked into rocks and only bobbed above water long enough for one gasp of air.

Adderblaze wasn’t sure how long that lasted; it couldn’t have been longer than a few seconds yet it felt like an eternity. He smacked into another rock, the air pushing out of his lungs. He instinctively gasped for air, only to take in a mouthful of water. Slowly afterwards, he began sinking, his vision going black as his lungs filled with water.

When he woke up, he expected to see StarClan. He was fully prepared somewhere in his mind to be greeted by his parents. What he didn’t expect was to see concerned eyes blinking down at him with concern. “What happened?” he tried to croak out. What came out instead was wheezing and crackles.

“Shh, hush now, love.” Froststar touched his ear lightly with her nose. “I sent out a search party the moment I realized you left camp. When we found you, it had stopped raining. One of the rogues pulled you out of the river and was trying to wake you up.”

Adderblaze nodded. “Who was it?” he tried to wheeze out. It ended in coughing, but luckily his mate knew what he was trying to say.

“It was Flower, the same one that saved Scarpaw when he was a kit. She told me to stop letting my family near the river.” Froststar chuckled for a moment, though it sounded hollow. “She’s right. I should just ban the river altogether. Give that bit of territory to the rogues.”

Adderblaze shook his head, shakily moving his tail to rest on her shoulder. He didn’t dare try to speak again, but he needed her to know that he was going to be okay. He wanted to be okay. For her.

“Breezefall, how is he?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen a condition like his before. I am going to meet with the rogues to see if any of them know what is wrong with him and how I can help him. Some of them used to belong to Twolegs. One of them has to know something.” Breezefall sighed. “Until then, we can only hope that StarClan blesses Adderblaze long enough to keep him alive until I can figure out how to help him.” The medicine cat approached and kneeled down. “I know you’re having trouble speaking so give me one tail tap for yes and two for no. Understand?” One tail tap. “Good. Are you in pain?” Two tail taps. “Alright, good. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Froststar will be here to keep you company, and your kits will be by later with prey.”

“Thank you, Breezefall,” Froststar said quietly.

The rest of the day went by slowly. Adderblaze wasn’t even sure what time he woke up. His kits came and went, and Froststar fell asleep. Breezefall didn’t return until moonlight began pouring into the den. Adderblaze listened to his breaths crackle as the medicine cat entered the den.

“Adderblaze, are you awake?” One tail tap. “Okay, good. I talked to some of the rogues, and one of them returned with me to better explain the situation. Lucy, you can come inside!”

A white molly entered the den, ears flattened to her skull. She looked at Adderblaze with worry in her eyes. “You must be the one. I have good news and bad news. The bad news first: you have water in your lungs. If not treated right, you can die. However, the good news is that, with a lot of rest, you might live. I don’t know if you will ever continue your warrior duties again, but you have a chance of living.”

Breezefall frowned. “Water in the lungs, huh… So where did you come across this before?”

“One of my littermates fell into the water bowl when we were just kits. Our humans were not home when it happened, and alone I could barely get her out. Luckily, our humans came home very soon after and were able to help her. She was bed-ridden for months,” Lucy told them. “We left home together to join the rogues. But the training they put us through was too much for them, and she passed away.”

“I’m sorry,” Adderblaze managed to wheeze out.

Lucy shook her head with a sad smile. “I appreciate that, Adderblaze, but please stop trying to talk. You need to rest as much as possible if you want to up your chance of survival. Out here in the wild, there are no vets to further assist you in your recovery. Good luck.” She turned towards Breezefall. “I’ll be heading back now. Make sure he doesn’t exert himself.”

Breezefall nodded. “Thank you, Lucy. I appreciate you coming all the way over here. Have a good night.”

“You as well.”

One moon later, Adderblaze could talk without wheezing. It was mostly quiet, but it was audible. Most of his clanmates had a hard time understanding him, but it was a work in progress. Lucy came by a couple of times with Flower, both worried about how he was doing. They were glad he was getting better.

Two moons later, Adderblaze began to walk again. He kept it very slow, always using either Breezefall or his new apprentice Swiftpaw to lean on. He watched his kits become warriors. There were less cracks in his breathing, and his volume was almost back to normal. It made him feel better.

Another moon after that, he began walking on his own. Anything more than a slow walk made him feel like he was drowning again. The first rain he felt made him feel like he was sinking. He almost stopped going outside after that. Each time before he left the medicine cats’ den, he checked to make sure it was completely dry out.

It was hard for him, but he persisted. Adderblaze didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to sink again, so he carried on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pulmonary Edema is the worst. Obviously, this isn't entirely how it works. But it's fiction, so it should be fine.


	3. Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this one was about a father scandal that went really bad. It was actually really stupid and I hated it so here is some background on Breezefall's apprentice.

One of Swiftkit’s earliest memories was of a pair of bright yellow eyes looking at her with all the love in the world. The memory always felt warm, and it was something she thought of fondly whenever she felt sad. The downside was that she had no idea who they belonged to. Her mother and her littermates had deep blue eyes. The other queen in the den had amber eyes.

Swiftkit was never able to ask her mother about those eyes; she had no voice with which to speak. As a kit, she knew she would never be a warrior without a voice. Communication was key, after all. So she spent much of her kithood exploring the camp, searching for the cat with the bright yellow eyes. Maybe he had to answer to her problem.

She also made it a habit to visit Breezefall. She always had a glimmer of hope that he could channel power through StarClan and gift her with a voice. He was also one of the few cats who could understand her without a voice. They had a connection that Swiftkit appreciated. She knew it would make becoming a medicine cat easier on her once she turned six moons old.

When that day finally came, she buzzed with excitement. Maybe the mysterious yellow-eyed cat would finally appear. She had been waiting for them for so long. Her mother groomed her until her fur was shining before moving on to her brothers. She listened to her brothers groan and complain about how their mother was treating them. After today, they would on longer be considered kits. They were practically adults.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me here beneath Caveledge for a Clan meeting!”

Swiftkit dashed out excitedly, leaving her littermates behind to push her way to the front of the crowd. At the top of Caveledge stood Froststar, sun bouncing off her white fur. Swiftkit smiled widely, impatient for the ceremony to begin.

“Today, three of our kits will become apprentices. I’m sure they are excited, as we all are, to start a new chapter in their lives. Nightkit, please step forward.” Froststar jumped down, meeting the little kit. “Nightkit, you have reached six moons of age and are therefore ready to become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Nightpaw. Your mentor shall be Leafheart.” A tortoiseshell molly stepped forward and touched noses with the new apprentice.

“Stormkit, please step forward,” continued the leader. “Stormkit, you have reached six moons of age and are therefore ready to become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor shall be Feathertail.” A grey tabby tom stepped forward to touch noses with the new apprentice.

“Swiftkit, please step forward.” Froststar smiled softly at the molly. “Swiftkit, you have reached six moons of age and are therefor ready to become an apprentice. You have chosen to walk the path of a medicine cat and from this day forward, you shall be known as Swiftpaw. Your mentor shall be Breezefall, and tonight you two shall travel to the Moon Tree.” The medicine cat stepped forward and touched noses with Swiftpaw.

The Clan cheered for the three new apprentices, shouting their new names with excitement. Swiftpaw was almost shaking as she nudged her new mentor. She pointed towards the sky with her tail. She wanted to know when they were leaving.

“We will be departing for the Moon Tree shortly. It is a long journey, one I want you to be able to remember before your training is complete. Come to my den so I can show you which herbs you should take before travelling.” The two headed towards the den, Breezefall continuing to explain things to Swiftpaw. “At the Moon Tree, you will meet with StarClan for the first time. Know that it might be a tad overwhelming, and you might be scared. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.”

The journey to Moon Tree was longer than the apprentice had anticipated. She thought that is was at the edge of WolfClan territory, but she was wrong. They travelled around the rogues’ territory and even further still. It wasn’t until the moon was high in the sky that they arrived at the Moon Tree.

The tree was astounding, a silent gasp escaping Swiftpaw’s lips. The tree sparkled in the moonlight as if covered in thousands of stars. Moon Tree was huge, larger than anything the molly had ever seen before. It was beautiful.

“As an apprentice, you should curl up underneath one of the roots. When you come to receive your full medicine cat name, you will sleep in the trunk. When you bring an apprentice, you will sleep in the leaves. Go ahead and find a spot so that you can meet with StarClan. I shall meet you there.” Breezefall quickly climbed the tree, disappearing from sight.

Swiftpaw blinked at the tree. She was nervous, taking shaky steps towards the roots. She found a spot she could fit underneath and curled up. It was cold under the roots, a large contrast from the warm air that was in the open. She shut her eyes and fell asleep.

 _When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by stars. It was like she was walking in the sky. The apprentice looked around but did not see her mentor. In fact, she didn’t see any cats at all._ Hmm….

_“Swiftpaw, apprentice of WolfClan and daughter of Badgerpelt, welcome to StarClan.” The molly turned quickly, suddenly face to face with two cats. The one in the center stepped forward. “I am Wolfstar, the first leader of WolfClan. Welcome to your StarClan apprentice ceremony.” He grinned, gesturing to the cat next to him. “This is Flowerheart, the first medicine cat of WolfClan and the first of us to speak with StarClan.”_

_“Hello, Swiftpaw,” the molly greeted._

_“It is common practice for us to officially decree you a walker among StarClan and a medicine cat apprentice. However, one of our members has requested to take part in this ceremony. Swiftpaw, meet Storm.” Wolfstar and Flowerheart stepped aside to reveal a tom with bright yellow eyes._

_Swiftpaw’s eyes widened. This was the cat she’d been searching for all her life. She took a step forward, sight locked on his eyes. “Hello, Swiftpaw,” greeted the starry tom. “I’m very glad to finally meet you. You may not remember who I am, but I remember who you are. You’ve grown so much. You look just like your mother, except you have your father’s eyes.”_

My father? _Swiftpaw furrowed her brows. She knew she had a father, of course, but she had never met him. Badgerpelt never spoke of the tom, avoiding the topic every time it was brought up by one of her brothers. She cocked her head a bit, questioning the tom._

_“Hm, you’re mute, aren’t you?” Storm asked. “Well, welcome to StarClan. As a gift to you, whenever you walk with your ancestors, you will be granted a voice to communicate with us. Try it out.”_

_Swiftpaw frowned. “U-um,” she began slowly. “I dom- don’t really know how th-speaking works.” Her words were slow. Hearing her own voice confused her. Is that what she would have sounded like if she wasn’t mute._

_“It’s okay. It’ll take some practice, but I will be helping you. I have requested to be your StarClan mentor, the ancestor that will be assisting Breezefall in your training.” Storm grinned. “Usually Flowerheart would be in charge of this, but this is a special occasion for all of us.”_

_“Why?” Swiftpaw glanced at Flowerheart before asking Storm, “Who are you?”_

_“I am your father. Your mother and I fell in love many moons ago and became mates, a forbidden relationship. Badgerpelt kept it a secret from WolfClan. I tried to keep it a secret from my rogue Clan, but one of them found out. Star, the leader, is evil. He killed me for betraying the Clan.” Storm sighed. “I really would have liked to see you grow up, you and your brothers. I have watched from StarClan, keeping all my attention on you.” He took a step forward. “Now, I will be there for you even more. I will teach you the ways of StarClan and how to interpret the signs we send you. Is that okay?”_

_Swiftpaw was silent, many thoughts crossing through her mind._ My father… The cat with the yellow eyes is my father. He wants to mentor me, but wouldn’t it be smarter for Flowerheart to do it?

_“It’s okay if you’d rather have Flowerheart mentor you. She is much more experienced than I am. I just… I want to spend some time with you. I would really love to get to know you.” The tom gave her a small smile._

_“I… I thank you for offering your mentorship. I’d really like Flowerheart to mentor me. But… I’d still like to meet you, if that is allowed?” The apprentice looked to Flowerheart, who nodded approvingly. She grinned. “Thank you.”_

_“Thank you so much.” Storm stepped forward again, touching his nose to hers. “I, Storm, gift you the mentorship of StarClan.”_

_Flowerheart stepped forward, touching her nose to Swiftpaw’s. “I, Flowerheart, gift you the mentorship of StarClan.”_

_Wolfstar cleared his throat. “I, Wolfstar, hereby present this new apprentice to all of StarClan. She now walks the path of earth and stars. She shall guide and heal her Clan furthermore.”_

_“Swiftpaw! Swiftpaw! Swiftpaw!” The cheer echoed throughout StarClan, causing the apprentice to shake with excitement._

She woke with a start, Breezefall sitting nearby. He greeted her with a smile. “How was it?”

 _Wonderful._ She purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Swiftpaw wasn't originally mute in earlier drafts of WolfClan stuff. I don't think she even existed way back when. I don't remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Haha get it, cause she gets injured both physically and emotionally. Haha


End file.
